Bittersweet and Strange
by TamaraoftheSea
Summary: Sabrina the Animated series Beauty and the beast AU inspired by youtube comments
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Once upon a time, in a far off land, there lived a young, handsome prince barely into his teens. As a result, he had gathered for himself a number of suitors. From far and wide, girls came to court the prince, drawn by not only his charm but also his sweet and friendly nature. It just so happened than in the Prince's kingdom, lived two very different young girls. One was named Gemini and was the daughter of Duke von Stone. Her raven locks, ivory skin and piercing green eyes had ensured that she was recognized as a great beauty. The other girl was named Sabrina and she lived in a small cottage in the woods. She was rather plainer than Lady Gem, with fair skin that was a far cry from ivory and freckles. But her long hair, golden as the sun and her sky blue eyes, gave her a wonderful air and while Lady Gem was conceited, rude, spoilt and stuck up, Sabrina was kind, gentle, feisty and good hearted. The girls had only one thing in common, they were both hopelessly in love with the prince.

Soon came the day of the prince's thirteenth birthday and he was to give a grand ball and invite every young girl in the kingdom. Among them were Sabrina and Lady Gem, who waited anxiously for him to notice them among the other brightly gowned young girls who twirled around the ballroom. Finally, he reached the two of them, where they stood side by side, silently glaring at one another. He greeted them politely and with courtesy. Lady Gem, immediately offered him her proposal. If he married her, then the von Stone family, the richest family in the kingdom, would join the royal court and thereby increase his own treasury. The prince politely told her he would consider it and Sabrina thought that perhaps he could tell just how stuck up and spoilt Lady Gem was and it made her happy to see that he wanted none of it. When the prince turned his attention to her, however, Sabrina suddenly felt unnerved. She wasn't as wealthy as any of the other girls at the ball, she couldn't afford the luxurious gifts they could offer him. With a trembling hand, Sabrina held out the only present she could offer, a single red rose.

At this, the prince showed his true colors. He laughed at her and ridiculed her for, ever believing that she was good enough to be a prince's bride. Sabrina was shocked when she saw that behind his sweet exterior, the prince was just as rotten as Lady Gem. Appalled at his awful behavior, Sabrina revealed her true self. A purple light swelled around the girl, making her hair gleam like sunlight in the dusking sky and making her modest beauty appear even more breathtaking. For Sabrina was an enchantress and when she used her magical eye to peer into the prince's heart, she saw that the kind and friendly demeanor was only to mask the prince's true nature. A selfish, spiteful boy who cared about nobody but himself. To punish him for his wicked ways, she transformed him into a hideous beast and placed a powerful spell on the castle and all who lived there.

As the days bled into years, the prince and his servants were forgotten by the world for Sabrina's spell had erased all memory of them from the minds of the people they loved. But the rose she had offered was truly an enchanted rose, which would bloom until the Prince's fifteenth birthday. If the prince could learn to love another and gain their love in return before the last petal fell, the spell would be broken. If not, he was doomed to remain a beast for all time.

As the years passed, he fell into despair and lost all hope, for who could ever learn to love a beast?

 **(A/N. Hello it's me, Tamara with more Sabrina fanfic by now you can probably tell this is the only series I'll write fanfic for…Anyway I've noticed a trend in youtube comments calling Harvey a spoilt brat and I agree he has his moments so that's what inspired this little story. Please note that I'm basing this story mostly off the Disney's version of beauty and the beast hence the title. Well since Sabrina has already played a part I'm sure you're aaaaalll dying to find out who I've cast as Beauty to Harvey's beast….Just kidding I know no-one's reading this and the ones that are probably know me enough to know who it's gonna be hehe**

 **Thanks for reading**

 **Tamara :D)**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

In the small provincial town of Greendale, at the edge of the woods, lived a doctor, well known in her practice. Ever since she had moved to Greendale, there had been a steady decline in fatalities born from illness or injury. The woman clearly knew her craft and the people were grateful to her for all she did. However, the doctor's young daughter was viewed in a far different light. The girl was only fourteen-years of age and she was already the town oddball. She never wore skirts or did up her hair. She would wear breeches and long men's coats letting her black hair hang loose down her shoulders. Women in town would shake their heads as she passed, gossiping among themselves.

"That girl would be so pretty if she only bothered to make herself look attractive." One woman would say.

"With those short legs and that scrawny body, I beg to differ." Another one would scoff.

"She has pretty eyes though, It's a shame you can't hardly see them under that mane of hers."

"The child must be mistaken for a lad countless times a day."

Kei didn't listen to what the women said. After all, they were no better than a flock of crows squawking on a cemetery fence. Another reason that Kei was considered so strange was due to her love of books, particularly those about the paranormal and supernatural. Horror stories about ghosts and ghouls were a favorite of hers. Let the townspeople talk about her, she didn't care, she knew who she was and that was all that mattered. Why should she have to wear skirts and be careful not to trip in the street, why should she tie her hair up with painful pins and gaudy ribbons when it was so straight that it would just fall down again. But those who saw her couldn't deny there was some sort of beauty in her sweet, mischievous face. Her dark eyes and hair nodded towards her oriental heritage, for before they came to Greendale, she and her mother had lived in a small coastal town in China. After years of living in the town, Kei's English was perfect and she had improved it mostly by reading.

Despite the constant snickering and gossiping behind her back, Kei wasn't afraid to walk with her head held high.

"Good Morning, Kei." Eiffel, the son of the town's resident French family, greeted as she walked passed him on her way to the library. "Where are you off to?"

"To return this book to Mr. Quiggley. It's about a phantom in a French opera house."

"Sounds wonderful." Eiffel waved goodbye and disappeared back into the crowd. Kei waved at his retreating form, before continuing on her way.

When so opened the door to the library, Mr. Quiggley was in his usual place, seated on the top step of the ladder, his nose in a book. He shifted his attention from _the merchant of Venice_ to the young girl standing at the foot of the latter.

"If it isn't the town's resident horror enthusiast." He said, giving her a warm smile. "Where did you run off to this week?"

"A haunted opera house in France." Kei replied, placing the book back on the shelf. "I didn't want to come back. Got any new places to go?"

"Not since yesterday, but you may read any of the old ones you like."

"Then I'll borrow this one again." Kei picked up the same battered copy of a _Midsummer Night's Dream_ she'd read about a dozen times.

"Bon voyage." Mr. Quiggley waved goodbye to the girl as she left.

"Bye." She shut the library door behind her and headed down the street and back home, her nose buried in Shakespeare's greatest and Cassandra watched her as she passed.

"She's as big a bookworm as me." Nicole laughed.

"Though it frightens me how she can flit between horror and fantasy so easily." Cassandra said.

"She's a funny girl that one."

They weren't the only ones watching Kei. Up on the hillside, Horace peered through his telescope.

"Look at her, Boogman." He smirked. "My future wife."

"She scares me." The blonde, bespectacled young man quivered in the saddle.

"Everything scares you." The larger, ginger haired youth scoffed. "She's different from everyone in town. She hardly speaks to anyone and when she does it's about the oddest things. I have to tame that wild creature."

"But she's so well read and you're so…"

"So what?!" Horace bellowed at his simpering companion.

"A…athletically inclined?" Boogman stammered, fearing the wraith of the stronger male. He was afraid of practically everything but Horace was the one person he was absolutely terrified of. Luckily, he seemed to have quelled the young man's fury and he returned to his fantasies.

"I know, but the hardest prey is the most rewarding."

The two rode into town, drawing the attention of three local girls.

"Look, it's him!" Squealed Tiffany.

"Horace!" Cried Margaux.

"He's such a tall, handsome brute." Swooned Briettea.

Horace paid them no mind as his attention was focused on the tomboyish outcast.

"From the moment that I met her, saw her. I said she's perfect don't you know." He said, more to himself than to Boogman. "In this town there's only she who's as special as me."

The brute dismounted and gave chase after the girl, finally catching up to her after he'd picked up an odd arrangement of what he hoped were flowers.  
"Good morning, Kei." He handed her the odd bouquet. "For your dinner table. Shall I join you this evening?"

"I'm afraid my mother's allergic." Kei said, politely.

"To flowers?"  
Kei was tempted to say 'to idiots' but she restrained herself. "Yes." She said, turning away once again.

Horace wasn't giving up, that was for sure. He watched the girl's retreating figure.

"So…onto the next one?" Boogman asked, hopefully. He knew that Horace would never get anywhere with Kei and a rejected Horace was very dangerous indeed.

"No way, Boogie." The ginger said, much to the smaller boy's disappointment. "The thrill is in the chase."

When Kei returned home, she found her mother packing up her equipment.

"Another house call?" The girl asked.

"Yes." Mai, brushed a lock of black hair out of her face as she rose to her feet. "I'll be riding into Salem today."

"Is it an emergency?"  
"Oh, no nothing more than a fever to tend to. I'll be back by tomorrow night.

"That's a relief."

Kei accompanied her mother outside as she saddled up her horse and loaded her cart with supplies. "Is there anything I can bring you back from Salem?" Mai asked.  
"A rose, like the one in the church's window."

"Very well my dear." Mai gave her daughter a gentle smile before riding off.

Kei watched after her mother until she was completely out of sight and then went to get on with her chores.

After weeks of planning Kei had finally perfected her newest invention. She strapped tied the barrel to a horse's bridal and as he walked in a perfect circle around the well, the clothes in the barrel were tossed with the water and soap. Thus, Kei didn't have to get on her knees and scrub the linens.

"What are you doing?" A little boy asked, poking his head up from behind the wall."

"The laundry." Kei replied, setting aside her book and beaconing to the child. "Come, I'll read you a story."

The boy eagerly approached her and sat down to listen to more tales of ghosts and ghouls from far off lands.

"Giving another child nightmares?" Horace yanked the book out of Kei's hands and ruffled through the pages before dropping it on the ground.  
"What do you want Horace?" Kei asked, not in the mood to deal with any of the young man's antics.

"What's this contraption?" He asked, peering into the barrel a bit too far and getting a face full of soap for his troubles.

"A washing machine." Kei replied, trying not to laugh at the young man's ridiculous appearance. The boy she had been reading to, was forced to cover his mouth to hold back the giggles.

"What's the point of this anyway, it's stupid." Horace said, sulkily as he tried to wipe the foam, which had formed a perfect beard and mustache, off of his face.  
"Keep laughing, but one day everyone will want one." Kei gathered up her laundry and headed for home. Horace gave chase.

"Look, you need somebody to care for you."

"No I don't." The girl said, not turning back.

"Yes you do." Horace insisted, struggling to get his fat bulk over the fence and landing flat on his face in Kei's front garden and gaining a face full of dirt.

"No I don't. I am not ready to get married and if I were it would not be to you, now good day." Kei slammed the door in Horace's face.

The youth stumbled down the street, looking even more ridiculous than ever.  
"My word." Kai scoffed, watching him go. "Imagine, me the wife of that blithering idiot? Mrs. Horace, gaah! No sir, not me! Not in this lifetime. I want much more than this boring life."

She leapt over the garden fence and ran out of town to the surrounding hills.

"I want adventure in the great, wide, somewhere! I need it more than I ever knew. If only someone understood, but who am I kidding, nobody has any idea what I'm looking for and frankly neither do I."

She sprawled on the grassy hillside, watching the sunset bathe the sky in pinks and purples. Her favorite colors, as the stars made their first appearance in the rosy sky.

 **(A/N Well, was** _ **'Beauty'**_ **a surprise to anyone? Probably not if you know me. Anyway, I chose to use the name Kei, a variation of Qi because it rhymes with Pi and loosely translated from Chinese apparently one of the meanings is** _ **'Strange'**_ **and in this version "Belle" is known for being cute, not beautiful and a huge oddball. Thanks**

 **Tamara :D)**


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